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31 October, 2015

I always enjoy it when White opens with 1.d4.Replying e6 and seeing 2.e5 appear on the board, allows me to steer straight to the French Defence, and find out if White really intended this or not.Here's what I saw today....

3. Qg4 ?!

Never seen that so early in a French ( and my database agrees : only two games found, both played in Junior competitions ).I know why it is played at later times ( often after Bb4+ ) to force the weakening g6 or the return of the Bishop to f8, with the loss of a tempo, but on move 3, it just doesn't work. It probably means that White does not know the French Defence, and this was proved true in a short space of time.Here is the critical position after Black has developed and won material, by chasing the Queen. Black to finish White with a killer blow, and not difficult to find.